Seattle provides model for minimum-wage hike

11:43 AM,
Jun. 9, 2014

Written by

Ed Murray

Seattle is a vibrant and thriving city. In 2013, we added nearly 15,000 jobs. Construction cranes punctuate the skyline. Our retail and entertainment districts are alive with people day and night.

But that's not the entire story. We also face a growing disparity between those who can afford what this affluent city has to offer, and those who struggle to get by. One Seattle resident in eight lives in poverty. The top 20 percent of households take home more than 50 percent of the income generated in this city ...20 times what households in the bottom 20 percent earn.